This invention relates generally to container handling systems and more specifically to a system that loads horizontal stacks of nested containers into lined or unlined cartons. Stacks of containers are typically received from a robot stacking system, a printing system, a vacuum forming system or a paper cup manufacturing system. Such stacks of containers destined for use in the medical and food service industries, for example, require horizontal placement in cartons into which plastic liners have been placed. It is critical that the plastic liner not be torn during carton filling operations. Affordable container handling systems have been mostly or completely manual, although some very expensive automative systems are known. Manual container filling is labor intensive and adds significantly to the overall cost of the containers. Known automatic systems, typically involving pick and place robots, are very expensive, difficult to adapt to different container sizes, and do not easily accommodate plastic carton liners that serve to protect the containers from contamination.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a system for placing horizontal stacks of containers into plastic-lined cartons, without risk of tearing the plastic liners.
This and other objects are accomplished in accordance with the illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention by providing a chute assembly and a carton indexing table positioned thereunder. The chute assembly holds a single horizontal stack of containers to be placed in a plastic-lined carton previously placed on the carton indexing table. The chute assembly includes front and rear downwardly and inwardly projecting fixed guides and a pair of pivoting side guides. The pivoting side guides are arranged for motion between an inward retracted position and an outward extended position.